This invention relates to roller skates, and more particularly to an improved skate having superior braking and maneuvering features.
A variety of roller skates have been available for recreational purposes only, such as the roller skate of U.S. Pat. No. 1,790,423, for producing pyrotechnic effects, and the skate of U.S. Pat. No. 1,551,571, adapted for rapid forward skating on sidewalks. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,016,447; 1,026,712; 341,999 and 829,900. Many of such skates have braking devices, usually affixed to the rear wheels, for stopping of the skates by movements of the wearer's foot. None, however, has proven satisfactory for widespread use as a means of enabling a pedestrian to cover long distances on foot with a minimum of effort.
More recently, improved roller skates have been developed for other than purely recreational purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,672 describes a complex roller skate utilizable for safe and convenient skating and walking, and for purposes and utilities other than mere amusement. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,187 describes a walking system for paraplegic patients. But none of such modern skates has provided a simple, inexpensive and practical skate capable of being used by a novice skater over considerable distances.